Every night after returning home from work, Chen opens his laptop and switches to his secret life as an undercover activist.

For the indecisive (or simply the ambitious), the fisherman’s platter presents an impressive array of fried treasures: clams, scallops, shrimp, and fish, accompanied by french fries and onion rings.

Nestled along the winding coastal roads of Essex, Massachusetts sits a weathered gray building that doesn’t scream “culinary landmark” – but Woodman’s of Essex has been serving up seafood that haunts ...